Alex was about to gather more information from the others, but Stan's sudden interruption had ruined everything for him. He was eager to learn more about the mysterious events they had just been discussing, but now, all that had to wait.
What surprised Alex even more was the reason Stan had come.
"Breakthrough? I thought we were done with today's training?" Alex asked, still feeling unsure and a little confused.
"This is necessary," Stan replied, already walking out of the room, leaving little room for discussion. "It will help you enter the next stage of your evolution."
The others—Tamsin, Merrick, and Gwen—weren't busy and decided to follow. As they walked down the hallway, Alex couldn't help but keep asking questions, his curiosity bubbling up.
"What are we doing next? More fighting? I've already had my fair share of beatings from Gwen today," Alex said, his voice carrying a mix of frustration and anticipation.
Stan didn't reply immediately, leaving Alex's question hanging in the air. He knew what Alex was about to face, and it wasn't something he could easily explain. Every member of the faction had to go through this at some point—a special training designed to push them beyond their limits.
They finally arrived at a door. Stan opened it, and everyone stepped inside.
To Alex, it seemed like one of the many doors they passed, but something about this room felt different. It wasn't spacious, at least not at first glance. But as they walked through several winding passages, they eventually arrived at an open space that resembled a basketball court.
The place looked like an arena, with seats surrounding the central area. The small space in the middle was fenced off, which immediately made Alex suspicious.
"So, it's a fight? But who am I fighting?" Alex asked, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
The others—Tamsin, Merrick, and Gwen—entered the room with him, but their faces had already changed. There was a strange look in their eyes, as if they knew something Alex didn't.
"Is he going to fight the Wendigo?" Caspian whispered quietly to Tamsin, his voice barely audible.
"I don't know," Tamsin replied, his brow furrowed with concern. "But isn't this too much? She might be stronger than those Wendigo, but at least she's sane. Alex could die from this."
Gwen overheard their conversation. Her eyes shifted toward Stan, who was leading the group forward. She couldn't hold back anymore and finally asked.
"Uncle Stan, is Alex really going to fight the Wendigo?" Gwen asked, her voice filled with concern.
"Failed ones? Is that who I'll be fighting?" Alex asked, his voice carrying a hint of excitement. "Tell me they're as strong as you, Gwen."
"They are not!" Gwen almost shouted, instantly scaring the excitement out of Alex.
Stan stepped in to explain, his tone calm but serious. "The Wendigo are a group of humans or Paragons who dabbled in evil arts. They're called the Wendigo because, during their attempts, accidents happen, and the user often goes crazy," he said.
"They might not be as strong as Gwen, but they're unpredictable. Be careful," Stan added.
Alex, however, seemed to miss the point, his confidence still high. "Ha, someone weaker than Gwen? I'm sure I'll punch the life out of them with my qi!" he said, his arrogance shining through.
Gwen, now smirking at Alex's overconfidence, couldn't resist a jab. "I'll be looking forward to seeing that," she said sarcastically as she made her way to one of the seats in the arena.
Tamsin and Merrick followed her, while Stan continued leading Alex down to the stage. As they arrived, there was another figure standing by the entrance—a man named Tharon. He was the least busy of the five faction leaders, but his presence was intimidating.
Tharon stood tall at the net fence's entrance, his deep voice resonating through the air as Stan approached. "Is everything ready?" Stan asked.
"Yes," Tharon replied, his voice so deep that it seemed to shake Alex to his core. "But unfortunately, we've run out of Wendigo. Most of them have already been used by others for training."
Alex's heart skipped a beat hearing Tharon's words, but he kept his cool on the outside. He wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or worried.
"There's still one left, though," Tharon added. "It's been prepared."
"That's fine. We'll only need one," Stan said, his tone steady as always.
With that, Alex was led through the net fence. The small door behind him clicked shut, locking him inside the arena.
He stood there, unsure of where his opponent would appear from. His eyes darted around the space, his muscles tense, ready for action.
Suddenly, a low rumble was felt beneath his feet. Alex's eyes widened in surprise. The ground in front of him began to shift, part of it opening up to reveal a large hole, wide enough to fit a human.
Seeing this, Alex instinctively stepped back, his mind racing. Why would his opponent need such an entrance? What kind of creature or being was he about to face? His heartbeat quickened, and for the first time, doubt crept into his mind.
At that very moment, a scratching sound, like an animal crying out, echoed through the room. It came from the hole, and soon, a figure began rising from it.
Alex, who had just taken a single step back, suddenly found himself retreating further. His confidence vanished, and pure terror took over his expression.
Rising from the hole was something that could only exist in nightmares. The figure was tall, but it didn't appear human in any normal sense. Its body was like a corpse, with flesh that seemed dead and decayed, barely clinging to its bones.
What sent shivers down Alex's spine was not just the body but the creature's face. It was mangled, with red liquid- blood, perhaps-coating its entire figure. And then there were the nails- long, sharp, and deadly.
For now, the creature was tied up, chains holding it in place. But that didn' t last long. The chains suddenly dropped, freeing the horrific being.
The creature collapsed to the floor, struggling to stand at first. But in the next moment, it raised its head, its eyes locking onto Alex. He was now pressing his back hard against the net wall, as if trying to pass through it to escape.
The failed one-the monstrous being- fixed its gaze on Alex. Then, as if it had found some hidden power in its legs, it dashed toward him, claws outstretched, aiming straight at his body.
Alex was frozen in terror. His mind went blank, his body unable to react. He squeezed his eyes shut, ready to accept whatever was coming. 'Is this how I'm going to die?' he wondered, bracing for the pain that was sure to follow.
But nothing came. Instead, a loud bang filled the air, forcing Alex to open his eyes, stunned.
Thud...!
In front of him, the creature collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud. Black blood seeped from a small hole in its head, pooling around it.
Alex could only stare in shock, his heart still racing as he tried to understand what had just happened.
Looking to the side, Alex spotted Tharon standing there, holding his hand out with two fingers pointed like a gun. Oddly, a trail of smoke drifted from his fingertips.
"He was on the other side of the fence. How did he get here so fast?" Alex thought, his mind racing. But what surprised him more was how the creature had been killed without even a fight.
Soon, Stan arrived at the arena, taking a quick glance at the fallen creature before turning his gaze toward Alex.
"You were supposed to fight it, not close your eyes," Stan said calmly, his voice steady.
"No one told me I'd be fighting a beast!" Alex responded, still trying to regain his composure.
"More accurately," Gwen called out from her seat, "you weren't listening. You were too overconfident!"
Meanwhile, Stan had already moved to speak with Tharon.
"I'm sorry, but this was the last one we had available. Maybe I can organize a team to hunt more, but they won't be ready now," Tharon explained, his deep voice resonating.
"Shouldn't there be some kind of substitute for situations like this?" Stan asked, his brow furrowed in thought.
Tharon paused for a moment, considering the options. Finally, an idea seemed to come to him.
"Alright, Alex," Stan said, turning back toward him, "this time, you better fight back—for your own good."
With that, both Stan and Tharon left the fighting area, leaving Alex to wonder what was coming next. The silence in the room made his heart pound harder.
Suddenly, a low rumble echoed from the ground beneath him.
'Wait a minute, I thought they said that was the last one?' Alex thought, glancing nervously at the floor, expecting it to open up once more.
But before he could fully process the situation, something heavy crashed down onto the floor, shaking the entire arena.
Alex's eyes snapped toward the source of the sound. What stood before him was no failed one—it was something far worse.